Gardening With Kids
Gardening is a great way to teach kids just how
cool nature can be. Give a kid a trowel and a small plot of land and they can
discover the fascinating world of worms, insects, and growing plants. Plus, new
research shows that gardening helps kids appreciate vegetables. Yes, that's
right, kids that garden are more likely to eat their Brussels sprouts without
complaining!
The Facts
Researchers at Texas A&M University have found that when four- and
five-year-olds spend about 30 minutes a week for eight weeks tending a garden,
they are more likely to eat their vegetables.
Fourth graders in a University of California, Davis, study also showed an
increased appreciation for the green stuff when nutrition lessons were paired
with gardening activities such as planting seeds and harvesting.
Preliminary research from Harvard University confirms that children eat
significantly more fruits and vegetables after learning where food comes from
and how it is prepared.
Start Gardening!
Ready to get some kids you know out into a garden? Then check out these fun
projects, tools, and resources:
Build A Bean Teepee
Transfrom a few bamboo poles and bean seeds into a whimiscal garden hideaway.
Plant Some Magic
Kid's love planting seeds and watching them grow into beautiful flowers and
delicious vegetables. Here are some easy-to-grow, kid-friendly plants:
Sunflowers provide almost instant gratification for kids. The big,
dark-colored seeds are easy to plant, and they germinate and grow into a tower
of flower quickly. Try 'Arikara', it can grow to an amazing 12-feet tall and
produces tons of edible seeds. 'Giant Sungold' reaches 7 feet and has huge,
double-blossom flowers.
Zinnias are kind of like kids: they are super fun to have around, and
they come in a beautiful assortment of shapes, sizes, and colors. Kids love the
riot of different colors found in the 'Giant Cactus' flowered mix. 'Envy'
produces unique green blooms.
Peas are fun to grow, and kids love to pop open the pods and gobble up
the peas right in the garden. 'Dakota' produces delicious peas early in the
spring.
Radishes grow quickly and easily. Plant 'Easter Egg', kids love to
discover this variety's mix of red, purple, and white radishes.
Cherry tomatoes produce tons of juicy, bite-sized fruit. Most kids can't
get enough of them. Try planting different colored tomatoes, including the
yellow 'Gold Nugget', orange 'Sun Gold', and the red 'Matt's Wild Cherry'.
Summer squash are easy to direct seed outside, and kids love hunting for
the bright yellow fruit. 'Flying Saucer' has a great name, and kids will happily
eat the round, green and yellow squash.
Pumpkins might be the all-time best plant for kids to grow. 'Rock Star'
produces big, jack-o-lantern worthy pumpkins. 'Baby Bear' yields tons of mini
pumpkins with easy-to-grip handles that kids love!
Build A Worm Bin
Kids love worms, and it's easy and fun to make a worm bin. Here's how to get
started.
Don't just take worms from your outdoor compost pile and put them in a bin.
Some, like nightcrawlers, will not survive long in captivity. Instead, order
worms from a reputable worm dealer. Eisenia fetida and E. andrei
are the best composting worms.
Build your own worm bin from a plastic tub with a tight-fitting lid. Be sure to
include holes for air and drainage, and put a fine mesh screen in the bottom to
keep the worms from escaping. [For more detailed instructions, see page 46 of
the March/April 2003 Organic Gardening.]
Feed them a low-fat, vegan diet: They eat fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee
grounds, rice, pasta, and bread, but they can't tolerate meat, dairy, or oil.
Cover the food with a layer of shredded newspaper or cardboard, which
discourages flies and provides another food source for the worms.
Add crushed eggshells to prevent acidity. The worms will not eat the shells, but
you can add them to your garden along with the castings.
Keep the bin as damp as a wrung-out sponge. Add wet or dry newspaper to change
the humidity in the bin.
Place your bin in a sheltered spot, away from sun and rain. Worms prefer a
moderate climate 60°F is ideal. A small worm bin will even fit in your garage
or cellar.
Be patient! It can take up to six months or a year before you collect castings
from your bin for the first time. The worms need time to get acclimated and
start reproducing enough to fill the bin.
Fun Gardening Resources
The following Web sites have tons of children's gardening projects, ideas, and
hints:
KIDSREGEN.ORG
Designed for kids, this Rodale Institute-sponsored Web site uses games and
activities to help make the connection between soil, food, and health.
EDIBLESCHOOLYARD.ORG
The Edible Schoolyard at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School in Berkeley,
California has an extensive Web site. Look under the heading "things we
learned the hard way" for sample lessons, recipes, and time-trusted tips.
KIDSGARDENING.COM
The National Gardening Association is a nonprofit organization devoted to
gardening. Its directory features 1,800 schoolyard gardens nationwide and
includes information on curriculum, fund-raising, and grants. The Web site also
has a resource section for teachers.
